Timeless
by Umeko
Summary: TokakiSubaru POV Tatara begs Subaru to stop time for him so he may be reunited with his only love. What does Tatara's decision mean for Tokaki & Subaru? Then the Suzaku seishi show up...
1. Flow of Time

Disclaimer: Fushigi Yuugi is the creation of Yuu Watase.

The following fic's loosely based on incidents in the anime. SPOILERS. It's seen from the POV of the Byakko seishi.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Flow of Time**

90 years before. Sairou. A white-haired man strolled aimlessly through the streets.

Sacrifices. _And more sacrifices_. As a Byakko Seishi, Tokaki knows that as one of the seven chosen, sacrifice will be demanded of them. It is their lot in life. _Was it worth it?_ He has no answer. His homeland of Sairou was safe now that the miko had summoned the sacred guardian of the West, the White Tiger, Byakko.

Maybe he should go chase a few skirts. That always cheered him up a bit. _But not today._ Yesterday, they had gone to the shrine again to visit Tatara, their fellow seishi. It's been a month since Suzuno left for her world, leaving them a world of peace. _Leaving poor Tatara behind._

It isn't fair! Why was it such that such a loving couple must be parted? Why had Byakko denied them this wish? It was not just Suzuno and Tatara who wished it be so. All the rest of them wished it. _No, the sacred beast cannot grant this wish…_

_Dammit!_ He kicked a stone and sent it flying into the sea of grass. They had first met in this very field outside the city. The wind-stirred grass, dry and brittle, amidst which stood the girl who was to be the savior of Sairou. Byakko no miko. Oosugi Suzuno.

Tokaki could recall it clearly. They were hunting wildfowl. Two very different young men. Tatara is gentle with long dark hair. Tokaki was known as the city's white-haired pervert for annoying the womenfolk. The hunt was Tatara's idea of a distraction after his friend had lifted one too many skirts. Tatara's father, a local magistrate, had threatened to exile Tokaki to the army camp on the border. They found the miko standing lost in the grass.

That was when Tatara fell in love with the equally gentle Suzuno.

They have been friends since boyhood. Tokaki's was the captain of the guard at the courthouse and it was a matter of time before the boys became fast friends. They both enjoyed the open air. It hurt him to think of poor Tatara trapped in the shrine of Byakko. Shut off from the outside, away from the open fields and gardens he loved.

Tokaki lay down on the carpet of grass, letting the sun warm him, savoring the caress of the wind. _Was it worth it, Tatara?_

"Tokaki?" A shadow blocked off his sun. He blinked, noticing the swell of her breasts as she bent over him… "Sexy…" He murmured as he reached out. Subaru slapped his hand aside. "Pervert!" He was now behind her and whisked her flowing skirt upwards.

"Want me to switch your body to the time when you got hit by that horse carriage?" Subaru threatened with a slight smile. She sat down beside him on the grass. "It's Tatara and Suzuno, isn't it?" Tokaki nodded as the grin died on his lips. Subaru allowed him to put his arm across her shoulders. They sat for a while in silence, listening to the wind rustle the grass stalks.

"Subaru, why did you have to do that to Tatara? The shrine's a prison to him…"

"It was his wish. I tried to talk him out of it," Subaru sighed. Tatara's wish had troubled her. She had gone to ask the Holy One for guidance. The Holy One judged in Tatara's favor and allowed the shrine of Byakko to be used as Tatara's sanctuary from time. "The power of love I guess… Tokaki, stop touching my behind!"

"Sorry, habit I guess." Tokaki regretfully withdrew his hand where it had wandered down Subaru's back. "How long will he have to wait? An eternity of waiting? Imprisonment as he supposedly guards a mirror… Oh, what's time anyway?"

"Suzuno's quite cut up by that as well. Remember the legend of Genbu no miko about a hundred years ago in Hokkan? Suzuno knows that miko, a family friend or something. She died about ten years ago in their world…" The white-haired girl tried to do her calculations and failed. She gave up. "I dunno. It seems that time moves faster in our world than theirs."

"Doesn't feel that way," her fellow seishi rolled over and pouted. Poor Tatara. "Will they ever meet up?"

Tokaki stole a glance at Subaru. A sassy beauty. He secretly loved her except he never dared to broach that subject with her. Tatara knew of course. He's been urging him to profess his love for the girl. _Come on, brother, you know the two of you were meant to be. Go for it! What's the worse that can happen?_

_Sure…_She'll reject him and laugh at him. If that happened…

"Tokaki… I wanted to say something to you for a long time…" Subaru started. Her heart was pounding. Before Suzuno left, Subaru had told the miko about her feelings for a certain white-haired rogue. Suzuno was very encouraging. Still, it had taken her more than a month to reach her decision. She had the quickest tongue in the city. She teased the men endlessly and yet now… she's feeling like some country maid.

"Subaru… I have something to tell you as well!" Tokaki blurted as he grabbed her shoulders. She sat mesmerized by the seriousness in Tokaki's golden eyes. She had never seen him so serious. Even in battle, he kept a half-playful air about him. She swallowed and spoke at the same time he did.

"I love you!" They stared at each other as the wind rustled the grass. It was Tokaki who spoke next. "Subaru, will you be my wife?" Subaru nodded and kissed him on the lips. He hugged her and held her tightly as dusk faded into night.

* * *

Sairou. The old woman caught a glimpse of her reflection in the garden pond. Her hair was white as always but she had lost her girlish figure for a more matronly one. It irked her that her husband was still going strong. It must be chasing skirts that kept him in shape. He traveled throughout the land. She never knew when he'll be coming home. _The rogue…_ She smiled. 

"Darling! I'm home!" Tokaki climbed over their garden wall. "Wow! The place looks great!"

"Tatara's been teaching me a bit about gardening. I've nothing better to do while waiting for you to come home," Subaru chided. "Where've you been? We're expecting you back for the Star Festival."

"How's he?"

"The same." Tatara will not age so long as he stayed in the shrine. Subaru had stopped time in his body all those years ago. The other seishi have passed on. Both she and Tokaki were well into their old age. _Soon…_

"Old man?" Her husband was troubled. Decades of living together had given them a deep shared understanding. She could tell. He shook his head and pulled at his beard. "Later, my desert bloom."

She'll have to wait. She went to prepare him a bath.

(End of chapter)

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Author's notes:

Focused a bit on Tokaki & Subaru's feelings towards what happened to Suzuno & Tatara. I really like the old couple. Think they're cool and thebond they have is the type that comes from decades of living together. Expect more domestic sweetness. R&R please.

P.S. I can't recall their non-seishi names... if they have any in the manga or anime, please tell me.


	2. Coming of the Mikos

Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yuugi.

A big thank you for telling me the names of the Byakko seishi.

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**Chapter 2: Coming of the Mikos**

"A Suzaku seishi?" She scrubbed his back as he sat in their tub. Tokaki nodded. "Tamahome. Nice lad. Kinda reminds me of myself when I was that age. Of course, I had Tatara as a friend then." She toweled her husband dry.

"He has no friends?" Subaru helped him into his clothes. "Nope. The village kids teased him about the character on his forehead. I taught him to fight. Little demon…" Subaru winced.

Tokaki in his youth was a good fighter. He was a terror. Sometimes, Tatara had been forced to tie down his friend with his vines so his opponents had a chance to flee with their lives. Subaru simply turned time back for Tokaki to when he was badly wounded or weakened.

"Come on, the boy will need it sooner or later. This means Suzaku no miko will be coming soon. Kutou's expanding its empire. Wiped out the Hin tribe, so I heard. Kutou's current emperor's a debauched tyrant, given to women..."

"Old man, have you given up chasing skirts?" Subaru teased as she massaged his shoulders. _Pot calling the kettle black…_

"Nope, I haven't finished yet. He has a preference for young boys as well… I also heard some tales of a Hin boy wiping out a platoon of enemy soldiers in a flash of blue light…" Subaru wrinkled her brow at this revelation. Tokaki nodded.

With nothing much to do to occupy his endless days in the shrine, Tatara studied the ancient texts relating not only to Byakko but also the other three sacred beasts. He sometimes discussed his findings with his visitors.

Byakko the white tiger represented the element of wind and air. Autumn. Its light is golden. The light of Genbu was sliver. Representing Earth and winter. The light of Suzaku is red. Red as fire for Suzaku is the phoenix representing summer. A blue light is the mark of Seiryuu, the Dragon. Born of the element of water. _Was the Seiryuu no miko coming soon as well?_

"Dourin, let's go visit the shrine tomorrow," Tokaki kissed Subaru's wrinkled brow and held her hand. They were now known by their non-seishi names to their neighbors and family. Only a few close friends, old friends, knew what they were in their prime.

"We wouldn't tell him about this," Subaru shook her head as she remembered Tatara. Tatara had begged her to stop time for him so that he may be reunited with Suzuno. _Please, Subaru, only you have the power to help us… _She would love to travel the land with her husband, but she did not want Tatara to be neglected. There's no point worrying him with the affairs of the outside.

Tatara was facing a near-eternity of lonely waiting. A living death, she had warned him then. In the shrine, he'll be respected so long as there are loyal worshippers of Byakko. He's a seishi, one of those who helped the miko save their kingdom… many decades ago.

Memories fade. Heroes are forgotten. In neighboring Hokkan, the Genbu no miko and her seishi have been reduced to mere folktales, stuff of epics and fancy legends. Another tale to be related by the campfires… It is a sad fact of time…

* * *

Decades ago in the Byakko Shrine…

"Please, Subaru, I beg you!" Tatara went onto his knees before her. Tatara's father was a high-ranking magistrate. Yet he was here kneeling and pleading with a lowly inn waitress. He wanted to be with his miko so badly, yet…

The other seishi were looking at her with the same dilemma reflected in their faces. Only Tokaki avoided meeting her eyes. He understood the full implications of the spell. Subaru turned her eyes to the Holy One. _Surely in his wisdom, he'll find a way... _

The Holy One tugged at his beard. His sightless eyes closed as if in thought. Finally, he spoke. "Subaru, I judge in favor of Tatara. You will stop time for him. I allow the shrine to be his sanctuary. The depth of his love has moved me to this decision."

NO! She wanted to scream. She felt Tokaki tense.

Taking a deep breath, she collected her ki, centering her energies on the spell. The others circled them. She focused her powers on Tatara. It was done. She was so exhausted she collapsed. It was Tokaki who caught her.

* * *

"Dourin?" Her husband's voice brought her back to the present. "Don't dwell on it. It's over." He climbed into their bed with its silken curtains. Subaru removed her many hair pins and combed her hair.

She climbed into bed beside her husband. He was snoring, exhausted by his travels. She did not sleep. _Byakko, did we make the right choice then?_

_

* * *

Author's notes:_

The Holy One isa sage guiding the Byakko seishi. My idea is an old mortal lama-type character. He does not appear in either manga or anime.

Watase sensei's Sairou's a bit like a cross between Tibet and Tajikstan. (The building where the Seiryuu seishi took Tatara was of Tibetan architecture. The clothes Kaika and Miaka wore in the village were of Tajik origin). Surprisingly, Dourin's gown is of Tang Chinese design. I designed the shrine to be like a Tibetan-style temple in the following chapter.

Interesting observation:  
Hokkan is really like Mongolia. Horses, yurts and Genbu seishi Tomite is definitely Mongolian in dress-style andweapon of choice. The only countries in the Universe of the 4 Gods that are of Han Chinese flavor are Konan & Kutou.

Sorry for yapping too much. I just love the costumes and scenery... Well done on the research, Watase-sensei.


	3. Shared Memories

Disclaimer: Fushigi Yuugi is the hard work of Yuu Watase & I cannot claim any credit for it.

Reunion of friends.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Shared Memories**

"Kasaru! We're here!" Tatara sat up at sound of that voice. Only one person called him in such a manner by his non-seishi name. The dark-haired seishi put down the scroll he was reading. He hurried to the main hall of the shrine. Sure enough, his childhood friend was standing in the hall in front of the statue of Byakko.

"Lanuan!" The two friends exchanged greetings. Tokaki never really got the meaning of being respectful in a sacred place. He thumped Tatara heartily on the back. Tatara grinned and thumped him back. "Tell me where you've been all these months?"

"Kasaru, how are you feeling, old friend?"

"As young and strong as ever, Lanuan," Tatara declared.

Subaru smiled as she watched the antics of the two men. In the shrine, Tatara would be known by his seishi name. She had regretfully fallen into that habit herself. Only her roguish husband will discard protocol in such a manner. Tatara would have grown old, older than Tokaki if it weren't for what she did.

His dark hair would have turned white. His body would have shriveled with age. He was of that physical type. Probably, he'd complain of achy joints on cold nights like his friend did.

"Dourin! What are you waiting there for?" Tokaki's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She lifted her skirts and followed them up to Tatara's private rooms in the shrine.

* * *

The Byakko shrine was a tall building. It was large and grand, with rooms to accommodate pilgrims from all over Sairou and the numerous shrine attendants who saw to the needs of their God. It also offered an unrivalled view of the stars from its flat roof for the shrine attendants to make predictions. It was both sanctuary and prison to Tatara.

Tatara's rooms were high up in the shrine building and offered a spectacular view of the city. Their host ordered tea and cakes to be brought. Soon the trio were chatting of the days long past.

"Remember how we met your wife, Lanuan?" Tatara teased.

Tokaki nodded. "We were staying at an inn. The two of us were feeling a bit down and went to the house bar for drinks. My Dourin was working as a waitress… She had such a lovely figure and I was a little high from the drinks…" He yelped as Subaru pinched him hard.

"Excuse me. I never bought your excuse of drunkenness then and surely not now. You had your hand groping up my skirt!" Subaru chided. They laughed at the memory.

* * *

Decades ago, Tatara and Tokaki sat at the bar drinking. "I think one of us should be guarding Suzuno…" Tatara spoke unhappily. He tried to rise but his companion stopped him. "Look, we both mistook that person for Subaru. She probably still upset with us. Give her time to cool down."

The fake Subaru turned out to be a thief and made off with Suzuno's precious gold locket that her mother had given her. They had retrieved the locket. However, it got broken in the ensuing fight. Suzuno had cried and chased them both out of her room. Tatara sighed. Tokaki noticed the pretty waitress heading their way…

"Pervert!" The waitress screeched. He had almost lifted her skirt when she suddenly slammed her tray on his head. _She's so quick! _Dazed, he stared at the Amazon before him. _Whoa, sassy!_

"Dourin! Are you beating up the guests again? How'd we get you married?" Her mother bemoaned from the kitchen at the ruckus. Before she could reply, all hell broke loose…

* * *

"Then the assassins attacked. Suzuno got stabbed…" Tatara's eyes took a faraway look. Suzuno was trying to shield Tatara from an assassin's sword. Tatara could still recall the pain he felt then. The young waitress from the bar saved Suzuno's life by turning time back for her. They had found Subaru.

* * *

"Suzuno! No!" Tatara cradled her in his arms. She was bleeding so much that she was close to death. The young waitress watched the young man and the strange girl. A sudden thought occurred to her. She pushed her way to the front of the gathered crowd.

"Allow me!" She focused her energy on the girl. _Turning time back…_ She had never done this with a living thing before. Till then, she had only used her power to mend broken crockery in the kitchen.

She was relieved when the bloodstain on the front of the girl's bodice shrank in size and disappeared. The girl opened her eyes weakly. "T-Tatara?" She blinked and smiled at the man cradling her.

"Byakko seshi, Subaru, at your service!" Without really understanding why, Dourin bowed before the girl whose life she just saved. It came so naturally to her that there was no denying the bond that bound them.

* * *

"Kasaru, you must tell me the recipe for these cakes if you have it, they're delicious!" Subaru changed the topic as the memories of Suzuno came. _He'd already given the recipe last week, still…_

_When Lanuan and Dourin leave, will I be able to continue? _

_

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_

Author's notes:

**Hydra-star: **Noted the inconsistency on the Genbu light myself. In the Genbu Kaiden, it is mentioned as a silver light. But in the anime it's shown as a green one. Maybe it's b'cos the seishis have been dead for 200 yrs?

Anyhow, traditionally, the representative colors of the sacred beasts are as follows: Suzaku (Red Phoenix) – Red; Seiryuu (Green Dragon) – Green; Genbu (Black Warrior) – Black; Byakko (White Tiger) – White. It may get a bit tricky trying to show a white or black light, I suppose… so…

The 3 seishi are very close friends so I let them call each other by their non-seishi names. I let them be the first seishis Suzuno found. Tokaki is a bit of a rogue, kinda Tasuki without the 'I-hate-women' (sic) routine.


	4. Suzaku Seishi

Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yuugi.

The story has moved forward to the Suzaku arc in this chapter.

SPOILERS Alert! If you haven't got to the part where the Suzaku seishi leave Konan, you may want to not to read on.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Suzaku Seishi**

"Xi-fan, how are our guests?" Subaru asked when her young foster-child came with the water for her to wash up. What happened the night before was so surreal. Tokaki had brought an injured youth back. A Suzaku seishi. Then other four Suzaku seishi came. So did their miko. Everything was a whirl. Even now, Subaru struggled to make sense of it.

"They're still resting, Foster-mother…" Xi-fan replied. They had taken Xi-fan in when her parents died last year. Their own offspring have long married and left the roost. She was an intelligent girl, a good housekeeper and cook. She was of marriageable age and with Xi-fan's looks, it'd only be a matter of time…

"They're a joke!" Tokaki barged into their room. Xi-fan took her leave of her foster parents. Subaru washed her face and asked. "Who's a joke?"

"The Suzaku seishi! Who else?" _So the events of the night before were not a dream… The Suzaku no miko and her seishi are here in Sairou. _

"Tamahome, baka, got stabbed by an illusion and the others were fooled by an illusion into spending four days in the desert… Why, in our time…"

"Darling, didn't you get fooled by an illusion demon yourself back then?" Subaru smiled sweetly. Tokaki spluttered. "The monk with them should have seen through it…" _What was their purpose in coming here?_

_

* * *

_

Their guests were all awake and about by the afternoon. _Are the Suzaku seishi so weak? _Back in his heyday, he and Tatara were capable of facing such an ordeal in the desert and still be fighting fit to take on an army of demons. The look on his face as he watched them must be clear enough, for Subaru added softly.

"Darling, don't judge them too harshly… They're still seishi…" She touched his hand gently. "Be nice to our guests now…"

Tokaki looked at their guests. The large Mitsukake seemed reliable enough. The man was playing with a cat. Somehow, he didn't have the aura of a fighter. They looked up as a tongue of flame shot out from around the corner of the house and scorched a willow branch.

"Help!" A small kid, Chiriko ran from an enraged redhead. The frightened lad ducked behind Mitsukake for protection. "He wants to flame me!" Chiriko was on the verge of tears. Mitsukake shielded him protectively.

"The brat called me a moron, nincompoop and idiot!" Tasuki raged as he waved his fan about. Subaru smiled broadly. The redhead reminded her of Tokaki in his youth. _What a hothead._

"I-I was just reciting poetry in old Sairou-nese…" Chiriko cowered. "Well, don't!" Tasuki relented and lowered his fan. He reached over and pinched the boy's chubby cheek. "Speak Konanese now, understand?"

Tokaki summed up his idea of the Suzaku seishi living with them. _Tamahome, little demon. Mitsukake, gentle giant. Tasuki, hothead pyromaniac. Chiriko, cowardly scholar-boy. And Chichiri, monk-who-should-have-known-better…_

"Old man, don't you think Chiriko's so kawaii? He reminds me of our little Lunka's grandson. You do know our great-grandson is visiting at mid-autumn, don't you?" Tokaki winced. _Byakko forbid that any of his descendents turn out to be book-memorizing wimps. _

_

* * *

_

"Excuse me, good sir. May I have a word with you?" It was the monk Chichiri who surprised him at the garden wall while he was trying to climb it to peep into the neighbor's yard. He hadn't sensed the monk's presence. _Must be getting old…_

The monk told him their purpose in coming to Sairou.

* * *

The Seiryuu no miko has come to this world as well. It did not bode well for their universe. They had failed the summoning of both sacred beasts. Both sides had suffered the loss of seishis. It was a competition. It involved not only the two kingdoms but the entire world as they knew it.

It gave poor Tokaki a headache just thinking of its implications. He was walking in the garden with Tamahome. He turned to his student.

"The necklace of Genbu no miko's in their hands? And you need both sacred objects?" Tamahome nodded sheepishly. They had bungled in Hokkan. The loss was sharpened by the fact that Nuriko had given his life to help them enter the cave of Genbu.

Tokaki spun around and marched off. _Taking away the sacred object of Suzuno's will devastate Kasaru…_ He climbed up a tree. He sat there pondering…

"Old man! Get down here!" _Subaru. _He pretended to be looking over the wall at the neighbor's pretty daughter. "This instant!" She had her hands firmly planted on her hips. _Must have something important to tell him._ He slid down the trunk.

* * *

Author's notes:

The Tiger is a symbol of strength and courage. In ancient China, armies marched into battle under banners emblazoned with tiger motifs. It may be understandable why Tokaki has a very low opinion of the Suzaku seishi.

Got my inspiration from the part in the anime where the Genbu seishi go 'Uh? These are Suzaku seishis?'or something like that. As for Tasuki trying to flame Chiriko for reciting poetry,Tasuki may prefer flaming Tamahome, but it doesn't mean the others are that safe from his temper.

BTW, medicine, being earth-based, fall under the Black Warrior (Earth). As do plants. So it's a bit strange that non-Genbu shichiseshi Mitsukaki & Tatara have such powers. Anyhow, they're cool that way... they all are.


	5. Race Against Time

Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yuugi. It's the creation of Yuu Watase sensei.

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 5: Race Against Time**

_Tatara and Suzuno._ That was what popped into his mind as they observed the young couple in the garden from behind the bamboos. Tamahome and Miaka were in love. If they summon Suzaku, Miaka will leave… and his poor student Tamahome…

"Ask Xi-fan if she's interested in marriage." Subaru stared at him in disbelief._ Lanuan… how could you? _"Let's pray that he's just feeling a passing fancy for the miko… you know it's possible…" Tokaki had fancied himself in love with Suzuno once, but that was before he met the fiery Subaru. _Docile, sweet girls are not his type._

_He has a point. Such a relationship can only end in heartbreak._ Subaru sighed. "About the mirror…"

"We better watch out for Kasaru. The Seiryuu seishi will be after it as well…"

The old couple left as quietly as they had come. The lovebirds were left alone in the oasis of greenery that was so rare in Saizou's desert climate. Tokaki smiled. They had Kasaru's knowledge and Dourin's skill to thank for their little piece of paradise.

* * *

"Getting the mirror officially is going to be a problem," Subaru confessed to the monk much later. She had explained the difficulties involved. 

The current Sairou royals were puppets of the religious establishment. The Holy One, successor to the one who had offered them guidance in the past, had passed on. There was a contest as to who will take on his mantle. As a result of continuing strife, the monks were divided into several opposing camps.

While marketing with Xi-fan earlier in the day, they had the fortune, or misfortune, to chance on one of these processions. It was led by a strange child monk. It was headed for one of the many palaces. She felt an uneasy sensation then… but she had put it down to too much sun. Now, she felt an inexplicable sense of dread.

"We can still get it, no da?" Chichiri beamed. _How optimistic. _

Subaru wondered how Xi-fan and Tamahome were getting along. Miaka was a terrible cook, going by Xi-fan's account. After partaking of her meal, everyone needed stomach medicine from Mitsukake.

A way to a man's heart is through his stomach. She wondered if Xi-fan's cooking was to Tamahome's liking.

* * *

Their well-meant attempt to match Tamahome with sweet Xi-fan was a failure. Tamahome had gone after Miaka when he heard she had gone to the monster-infested tower. He was already deeply in love with her. 

They should have known that from the way he looked at her. Maybe they were getting old and fuddled. The shrine of Byakko loomed before them. Official permission or not, they should have done this. It was the least they can do now…

"Kasaru!"

The shrine door was yanked off its hinges. The shrine of Byakko was in disarray. Several attendants were lying dead in the hall. Desecrated. Shocked, Subaru and Tokaki searched the corridors and rooms, hoping… _No sign of Tatara. Too late…_

"Tatara!!!" Subaru sobbed, falling to her knees… "He's still alive!" Tokaki insisted, helping her up. They wouldn't kill Tatara until he surrenders the mirror…

_Once outside the shrine, how quickly will their friend age? How much longer has he left?_

"The Suzaku seishi! We must join forces with them. It's his only chance!" Tokaki sounded a lot more confident than he felt.

Tatara was close to death. Time had started to flow for him, draining away his life and powers. Was this the work of the Seiryuu seishis?

* * *

No wonder she had felt uneasy that day in the marketplace. The strange child-monk was one of them. Seiryuu seishi, Moboshi. He was powerful and very dangerous… 

It was Tatara who killed him, giving up his life in the process. Both Subaru and Tokaki felt as though a part of them died as Tatara fell. They were in for a nasty shock… Caught off guard, young Chiriko became the unwilling vessel for the evil spirit of Moboshi.

The Suzaku no miko was in danger. The Suzaku seishis were fighting desperately.

"Subaru, can you use your power to turn time back for me?" Tokaki whispered out of earshot of the Suzaku seishi as he looked at his fallen comrade. Tatara's face was peaceful, as if he were merely asleep.

Subaru thought carefully. She hadn't used her powers for a very long time. She felt deep inside her being. _Yes, there is still a fragment of her original power left. Enough to last a few short hours. It'll be risky. There's no telling how their old frames will react on reverting back to the natural course of time. Tokaki may die from the spell…_

"On the condition I use the same spell on myself." Subaru made her decision. She gathered her ki…

* * *

Author's notes:

**Hydra-star: **You got it about Tasuki. He's a bit of a hothead but we all know he's very close to Chiriko.He gets along alright with most of his fellow seishi, except maybe Tamahome. Something to do with Tamahome nearly killing him on their 1st meeting?

This chapter is a bit disjointed. It doesn't flow as well as the earlier chapters. Action is picking up, anyhow, we all know the events touched in more detail from the anime.

This is still from the Byakko seishis' POV. I sneaked ina chance encounter with the Seiryuu seishi Moboshi in the marketplace. Subaru's like your average housewife here.


	6. Power of Love

Disclaimer: The usual.

After struggling for a while, I chose to gloss over the confrontation between Soi & the Byakko seishi as I'm not too sure of how Subaru & Tokaki fought as a team. The following chapter picks up from just after Seiryuu is summoned.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Power of Love**

They failed. The Suzaku seishi left for Konan. They had put so much in and still they failed. Chiriko had perished with the demon that tried to turn him against his fellow seishi and miko. The boy had fought a fierce battle inside. He had pleaded with Tasuki to burn him. When Tasuki couldn't find the heart to hurt him, the boy stabbed himself in the chest.

The boy had died, denying all attempts by Mitsukake to save him so that Moboshi may truly be dead this time. It seemed so surreal now on the empty wind-swept roof.

Tokaki looked at Subaru's youthful face. Then he looked down at his boyhood friend, lying dead in his arms. It was not a dream. Subaru inclined her head slightly. It was time for her to return time to the way it was…

* * *

Morning. The sun shone into his eyes. 

Tatara's dead. Kasaru's dead. He had gone down fighting. Using the last of his life to protect the Suzaku seishi, their miko and his miko's sacred object. He would rather give up his life than see his Suzuno's sacred treasure being used for evil purposes. _How like him…_

They had misjudged the Suzaku seishi. Even the youngest, Chiriko, had proven himself a worthy seishi. _Poor kid,_ Tokaki thought fondly of the young scholar. The lad's quite timid at first glance. A weakling, so Tokaki had first thought. But inside the lad was the heart of a true hero. _Doesn't seem fair to them…_

Tokaki turned and looked into Subaru's sleeping face. For a few hours under Subaru's power, they had fought like they did so many years ago. When they returned to their old selves, they were so exhausted that they had spent a week in bed recovering. _Yep, they are old now._

Subaru awoke and planted a kiss on her husband's lips. "Morning, old man…" Tokaki grinned and cuddled his wife. _Oh, Dourin…_ She was so warm and soft in his arms… Xi-fan came with their breakfast.

* * *

They went for a walk to sort out their thoughts about what had happened. It simply didn't seem real to them. They passed by the Byakko shrine. Tatara's gone. Still, they lingered a while in the doorway, peering in as the workers repaired the building. _They had been worried about how Tatara will cope after they were gone. Now…_

They learnt from a worker that a new Holy One had been elected by the royal family. The source of internal strife that had threatened Sairou was removed.

Sacrifice, the destined lot of a seishi. Byakko or Suzaku. Maybe Seiryuu as well. The heavens can be demanding. They had lost. Despite all their best efforts they had still lost.

It gnawed at the both of them.

"I guess we'll have to sit back and wait for Kutou to send its army our way… not that I'm gonna stand for it…" Tokaki mused as they came to the old grass field where he had proposed to his wife. Some things, like this field, were unchanged.

"We're too old…" Subaru sat down, aware of the painful creaking of her joints. Her husband sat down next to her. She buried her head in his broad shoulder. He nuzzled her hair lovingly. _What of Suzuno now?_

How will she react when the times of both worlds converge and she cannot find her love? Tatara has been cremated as was the custom in these parts. His ashes were scattered to the winds. With such thoughts in their minds, the old couple dozed off on the sun-warmed grass…

They both awoke a short while later with a smile on their lips. "Did you have the same dream I did?" Subaru asked with her eyes shining as brightly as they had when she was a girl. Tokaki nodded. "They're together…"

"In the gently falling snow…" Subaru completed. "Beyond both worlds… somewhere outside time and space. Together forever."

_In their shared dream, they embraced each other amidst a gentle fall of glowing snow that was of neither world. The joy on the young couple's face was clear. Yes. Tatara and Suzuno were as they had parted so many years ago. They were now reunited by their deep love for eternity…_

"Believe in miracles? I think all's not lost yet. The Suzaku seishi may succeed still…" Tokaki helped Subaru to her feet.

"Love, hope. They are powerful forces that can transcend death…" Subaru agreed. "In a way, we're all linked, through both time and space… Come on, old man. Xi-fan will be worried if we don't get home soon." She broke into a smile. They strolled home feeling much lighter in heart than when they had set off.

Hope and love, forces that can transcend space and time…

* * *

21st century Tokyo. A pair of high school boys ate their bento lunch under a tree. The pale-haired one turned to his companion. "Kasaru… How long have you and Suzuno been going steady? She just transferred here last month!" 

"I dunno, Lanuan. Maybe we knew each other in a previous life or somewhat… You believe in Fate?" Kasaru toyed with a fallen leaf. Lanuan was not listening. His Fate has come in the form of the curvaceous cheerleading squad. _Time for creative pursuits. _He abandoned his lunch and got a vantage point for a view of those legs…

There was a new girl on the squad. He had never met her before, yet she seemed so familiar… _And those legs…_ He craned his neck for a better view. He drew closer, closer… She caught on to what he was really up to.

"PERVERT!" The new cheerleader, Dourin, screamed and kicked Lanuan, much to the amusement of everyone present.

(END)

* * *

Author's notes:

Can't resist the last bit seeing Tamahome got reborn into modern Tokyo as Taka.


End file.
